This invention relates to restructured fish product and more particularly, to a method of producing a fish product that utilizes about 50% to about 60% by weight of the whole fish.
A substantial portion of the available protein in fish is discarded during processing and used as animal feedstuff or fertilizer. The portion of the fish that is utilized in animal feedstuffs comprises red meat, trimmings, including tails, carcasses and skin, etc., which normally aren't acceptable in terms of appearance as an ingredient in human foods. The unacceptability of certain portions of fish for human consumption leads to processing inefficiencies and a void in filling the nutritional needs of individuals.
Efforts have been made to produce acceptable products for human consumption from the red or dark meat portions of fish. British Patent 1,108,188 shows the extraction of fish protein by treating fish for two hours at a pH of about 13 and a temperature of 50.degree. C., and after purification, the solution is deodorized with a peroxide solution having a concentration of 0.015% by weight, and a pH of 8.5, at a temperature of 80.degree. C., for two hours. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,060,644 and 4,136,204 show the bleaching of undissolved fish skeletal meat with a dilute aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and up to 10% by weight polyphosphate, preferably sodium tripolyphosphate at a pH of 10.5 to 11.5. The hydrogen peroxide is removed with catalase at a pH of 7.5 to 8.0. The pH of the bleached fish is then lowered to 6 to 7 by being washed with a food acid. There is no indication of improved texture of this product particularly when combined with light colored fish meat.
In British Pat. No. 1,400,876, the use of hydrogen peroxide to decolorize fish flesh at a pH of not more than 9.5 and at a temperature of between 30.degree. and 70.degree. C., is shown. Trash fish flesh is mixed with aqueous sodium hydroxide and heated to 50.degree. C. The disclosure states the protein recovered from solution is unsuitable as a substitute or filler for animal proteins for human consumption because of inadequate nutritional quality. A protein isolate is prepared in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,370 which is decolorized by hydrogen peroxide and deodorized by extraction with isopropanol. The nutritional value of the white isolate powder is adequate but it has undesirable texture for a restructured meat product.
The present invention relates to a process and product wherein dark meat from fish is restructured and substantially decolored to provide a nutritious, palatable food product and in a preferred embodiment, combined with light meat from fish to provide a palatable, nutritious fish product utilizing up to about 50% to about 60% by weight whole fish.